Device for straightening and leveling rails.



No.'815,757.. v I PATENTED MAR. 20, 1906.

H. M. STARK.

'1 DEVICE FOR STRAIGHTENING AND LEVELING RAILS.

3 APPLICATION FILED APR.19. 1905.

4 a ike cum To a/Zbwhm'n/ it may concern:

UNITED STATES.

PATENT oF o .l HAROLD M. STARK, or FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

' DEVICE FOR STRAIGHTENINGIAND'LEVELING'RAILS.,

Be it known that I, HAROLD M. STARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen, State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices forStraightening and Leveling Rails; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates'tov improvements in devices for straightening andleveling rails, bars, &c.

The bending downward of the ends of the rails at the joints and otherpoints along the rails and the bending of the fish-plates caused by thepounding on the rails by the wheels of trains is one of the greatestdifiiculties met, with in maintaining a railroad, especially wheretrains are run at a 'very high rate of speed, and a smooth level trackis an absolute necessity.

The object of my invention is to overcome these'difiiculties byproviding a portable device which can be applied to the rails at anypoint for straightening and leveling the same,

more especially applicable for use in straightening and leveling theends of rails at the joints and for straightening the fish-plates; butit may be used equally as well at any pointon the rails that needstraightening or leveling.

My invention further has for its object to provide a device which isportable, and therefore can be transported to any point where it may beneeded at very short notice and be quickly applied and afterstraightening and leveling the rail can be quickly removed.

It still further has for its object to provide a device which is verysimple, inexpensive, and durable in construction and easy toapply andoperate; also, to provide a clevisby means of which a railroad companymay use implements already in its possession in connection with thedevice to operate it.-

The invention consists of the features and combination of features morefully hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of my invention,showing it as it appears when applied to a rail-joint; Fig. 2, an endelevation with the rail in section; Figs. 3 and 4, detail perspectiveviews of'the clamping-links Fig. 5, a detail view of a modified form ofclevis,

Specification of LettersPatent. Application filed April 19,1905. smart.256,470.

Patented IVIarchBO, 1906.

:numerals of reference denote similar parts I Referring to thedrawings,-in which like throughout the several views, 1 represents oneof the railsof a railroad-track, and 2 a isplaced on the top of the railat one side of the rail-joint and a lifting-jack 4, provided with atoothed bar, operating-lever, &c.,'of any well-known constructionon theopposite side of therail-joint.

5 is a bar or short plece of' rail, one end mounted on the'block 3 andthe other end on the lifting-jack 4. I

6 is a clevis comprising the links 7 and 8. The link 7 is provided withan eye 9 at its lower end and its upper end bent over the top of theshort piece of rail 5, formed into a hook-10 and terminates in an eye11. The link 8 is provided with an eye 12 at its lower '60 fish-plateconnecting a rail-joint. A block 3 end and an eye 13 at its upper end,which engages the eye 11 of the link 7, said eyes 13 and 11 forming ahinge-joint, as at 14. A pin 15 is passed from the outer side of therail-through the eye 9 of the link 7 and after passing under andengaging the rail 1 is inserted in the eye 12 of the link 8 with theinner end 16 projecting slightly beyond the inner surface of the eye 12of the link 8. An annular collar 17 is provided on the outer end 18ofthe pin 15, which abuts against the outer surface of the eye 9 of thelink 7 and prevents the pin from being driven in too far.

vIn the modified form of clevis shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings twoU-shaped links 19 and 20 are employed and provided with eyes 20 21,respectively,- said eyes engaging each other and forming hinge-joints22. One of the most important advantages of my invention is that it canbe easily applied to the rail, and in case of an emergencyfor instance,should a train come along unexpectedlyit can be removed instantly bydriving out the pin.

In use the block 3 and lifting jack are placed in position on the top ofthe 'rail and the short piece-of rail placed in position so that itsmiddle portion shall be approximately over the rail desired to bestraightened. The clevis is placed over the short piece of rail 5, bywhich itis supported, the pin 15 passed through the eyes 9 and 12 of thelinks 7 and 8, respectively, and the lifting-j ack operated, which liftsthe piece of rail 5, which in IIO the rail, it is only necessary toknock the pin Outward, which will release the clevis from the rail.

I preferably make all the parts of steel; but they may be made of anymaterial found suitable for the purpose.

What I claim is 1. In a device for straightening rails, a cleviscomprising a pair of links hinged di- Ib rectly together at their upperends, a pin deeye at each end and its upper end bent over and extendeddownward, a link terminating in an eye at each end and the eye at itsupper end hinged directly to the eye at the upper end of thefirst-mentioned link and at an angle thereto, and a pin designed to beinserted through the eyes at the lower ends of both of said links,substantially as described.

4. In a device for straightening rails, a clevis comprising links hingeddirectly together and having eyes at their upper ends at an angle toeach other, eyes at their lower ends parallel to each other and a pindesigned to be passed through and engage the eyes on the lower ends ofsaid links, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HAROLD M. STARK.

Witnesses:

GUY M. MOHURIN, SIDNEY S. BERGSETH.

